Lowell Green Restaurant Committee – Call for Members!

WANTED: Green-minded professionals to launch the Lowell Green Restaurant Certification Program. Are you a guru in energy efficiency or water conservation? Do you work with green products?  Do you have expertise in recycling and composting? Are you involved in the local foods movement? Then YOU are just who we’re looking for! The Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce is seeking qualified individuals to serve on the Lowell Green Restaurant Committee to administer the new Lowell Green Restaurant Certification Program. Over a one-year timeframe, Committee members will work with select restaurants in Lowell to achieve certification as a green restaurant. This is an exciting opportunity to launch this program that has been two years in the making! For more information, please see the attached Call for Members or email Angela Vincent at lowell.greenrestaurant@gmail.com or Danielle Bergeron at DBergeron@greaterlowellchamber.org.  Applications are due on December 16, 2011. 

Sustainability Week 2011

Lowell’s first Sustainability Week was a success despite a rain filled week.  Five Climate Summer student riders took Lowell, literally, by storm.  The week was an opportunity for residents and city officials alike to celebrate the accomplishments of the past, and to engage in planning for a sustainable future. Several hundred participated in the array of activities offered. Events included the kick off of the public outreach process for the Comprehensive Master Plan update, tours of the wastewater treatment facility’s green building and the Concord River Greenway, a summit with the Green Restaurants program, outdoor educational films, a backyard beekeeping class, a citywide bike tour and more.  The highlight may have been an introduction before 2,000+ fans at the Lowell Summer Music Series Indigo Girls concert. The students are riding throughout New England communities to raise awareness on climate issues and to emphasize personal responsibilities regarding sustainable practices.  The riders hailed from all across the country.  Lowell was their first destination and they made some lasting contacts and impressions.  You can read about their trip here.

The City of Lowell and Lowell’s Green Building Commission were the primary organizers of the event – a first for the City. Presenting partners included the Back Central Neighborhood Association, Belvidere Neighborhood Association, Borrego Solar, Canalwater Cleaners, Coalition for a Better Acre, Community Gardens Greenhouse, Friends of Tyler Park, Lowell Downtown Neighborhood Association, Lowell Film Collaborative, Lowell Green Drinks, Lowell Green Restaurants, Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, Lowell National Historical Park, Lower Highlands Neighborhood Group, Pawtucketville Citizens Council, The Revolving Museum, and the United Teen Equality Center. Major sponsors included UMass Lowell and the Cultural Organization of Lowell.